It is, to this point, undeniable that Naughty Dog knows how to makes excellent games that make you feel, think, and react. Undeniable. They have unquestionably transcended the medium by going from the loving and carefully crafted Crash Bandicoot series to that of the action packed vistas and firefights of the Uncharted saga. And now...now they've brought us destruction, and masterfully so. The Last of Us is humanity's desperate call for help in the darkness, and while the game itself has been answered with glee and overwhelming and robust applause, that lone call, if it had originated from a character present within the game itself would be going unanswered. Times are desperate, and you haven't even seen anything yet. This isn't a story about saving humanity, but rather surviving what is left of it. And that is what makes the storytelling and gameplay of The Last of Us both invigorating and amazing.

This is a story of a man- Joel, and a young girl- Ellie. There are other characters present along the way, but they quickly fall away in importance to reveal the fact that the companionship of this dynamic duo is truly at the heart of this dark tale. In the wake of a horrifying epidemic that has killed millions, nay, billions- Joel and Ellie work together to survive the fallout of what they've been left with, and survive day to day- or try to. However, they are not alone in this task, nor in the world they have been left and stranded within. Feral, fungal infected roam the lands in many shapes- namely clickers and runners, for which their names will be made apparent all to soon after purchasing the game. Other survivors litter the landscape as well, whether dead or alive, and many of whom are not nearly as friendly towards others as they could be. What starts off as a simple story soon becomes a complicated narrative that knows just how hard it is to survive, and how easy it is to die- all the while twisting the knife deeper and deeper in the player's gut along the way emotionally.

All the while you are continuing upon your chosen 'quest', you find yourself deeper and deeper in a simple race for survival and escape from the horrors of what is now a twisted and real reality. Almost like how there is a reaction for every action, every beautiful moment of The Last of Us is equally balanced with a disconcerting and horrifyingly terrible and brutal one. Naughty Dog paints a grim painting with each stroke of their storytelling genius, but it is a story that I would much rather experience over and over in the game and appreciate than have bypassed in favor of some other game of less realism. In order to fit in with the theme of survival above all else, you will find little to no ammunition in containers about, and when you do- it's basically Christmas, or some holiday. Any and all ammo you do find should be conserved just as it would be in fellow survival game I Am Alive, as it is just as important- if not more so. Supplies is as scarce, and even more important to your survival. You'll constantly be scrounging, crafting, and moving. It's essential. That sense of intense, underlying fear that you always feel in apprehension of other survivors and infected can only truly be mirrored in other post-apocalyptic tropes such as The Walking Dead and State of Decay.

In other excellent post-apocalyptic games such as Fallout and Wasteland, you really feel pretty powerful at times, and the overlying sense of vulnerability isn't really included in the experience. This is most definitely not so in The Last of Us, as you can easily be killed, and it is very difficult to kill your opponents. It is this sense of underpowered ability and difficulty that makes The Last of Us such an awe-inspiring and satisfying experience to behold and play through. As with the Metro series, but amped up even more so- stealth is the name of the game, and survival is the final step of that game. It is possible, but incredibly difficult to sneak by your enemies, and also dramatically intense after or during doing or having done so. The odds are almost always overwhelming, and you will almost never have the upper hand in any scenario, forcing you to utilize every ability you have to stay in the shadows in order to survive successfully. Each mechanic in combat and stealth is well-oiled to perfection, and completely rock solid. The only complaint would be of the unceasing difficulty and trial and error of any good stealth game in certain sections, but that is, of course, a ridiculous assertion to even attempt to berate the game on.

Now, The Last of Us is a mature game for good reason- not only is it an incredibly brutal and violent game, but it incorporates many questionable elements that you should probably not suggest younger people to. That having been said, if you let your children play Call of Duty games, that's one thing- but this is one thousand times more bloody, questionable, and overwhelming than any of Makarov's actions or Raul Menedez's. All this serious writing does, however, contribute greatly to the story at hand, and the underlying sense of human frailty woven throughout. The world is grim, the gameplay equally so, the dialogue believable and dry, and the story excellent. The Last of Us scores high marks in every test, and perfectly conveys just how far people will go, or have gone to work to save those close to them, as well as to survive. It isn't just a story so much about Joel and Ellie, but about surviving, and how survivors interact believably with one another.

As violent and surprising as the single player element is, and linearly comparative to that of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series as well- there is another striking similarity between the two excellent games and franchises: multiplayer. Now, while multiplayer does not always work for story-based games such as The Last of Us, it has been pulled off successfully here, closely related to Uncharted multiplayer in more than a few ways, but retaining its own ingenuity. Of course, it is missing the emotional and driving element of the single player story, but the multiple deathmatch variations provide more satisfying and brutal kills, and more uses of taciturn genius in stealth and conservation. You won't be running in guns blazing here. Sure, it's like Bioshock 2 and Red Faction- where you probably won't play the multiplayer much, or remember it long- but the single player more than makes up for everything, and the multiplayer isn't too shabby either. It features a decent progression system, neat modes, and brutal gameplay.

It's hard to have the strength to fight on in Joel and Ellie's adventure, with the few marks of beauty in the beautifully rendered environments, and the overbearing and omnipresent sense of grim, gritty, desperation- but that has nothing to do with how the game is made or its quality at all. In fact, the sense of anxiety and fear that the game brings through its story is its greatest accomplishment, as not many games have successfully made gamers feel in such a way before. Horror is one thing, but an embracing and overarching story is another entirely. That's what makes the difference between games like Silent Hill: Downpour, and The Last of Us.

Concept: Fight for survival in the fallout of a global epidemic, in a world where everything that has gone wrong has gone wrong, where there is little hope to be enjoyed.

Graphics: Truly, the environments, facial features, and everything in between are not only amazingly rendered, but spectacularly animated and interactive as well.

Sound: Sound plays a large part in The Last of Us's gameplay, and it seems only fair that the game have a brilliant musical accompaniment and excellent voice work as well.

Playability: Gameplay is brutal, tense, and challenging- not to mention extremely difficult and frustratingly good at all times.

Entertainment: It's not always easy to stomach and handle, and it'll certainly throw you for an emotional rollercoaster of a ride, but The Last of Us is a spectacular story and game first and foremost, and therefore an incredible experience I wouldn't miss for the world.

Okay, I'm going to do my best to make this review the most comprehensive review on the game Remember Me out there currently, because I owe several of you (the community) a grand explanation of the game, and why it isn't as bad as some have rated it, and even better in my opinion than its own rating here at GIO. Let me start by saying that, while this review will not by any means give away specific story and plot details, it may allude to them, and therefore may ruin tidbits of the game for you once you purchase it- should you deign to do so, and make the connections that I alluded to prior to your purchase. Also, please note that I have lovingly and painstakingly taken Remember Me for a long spin these past four and a half days or so, and have completely devoted the majority of my time to it, when not doing intensive work. I've put in well over fourteen hours into the story and special combo labs, earned 47 our of 50 achievements- the only ones I didn't receive being MemHunter Elite, Queen of the Hill, and 400 (look them up if you want to know the requirements for each). I've earned 880 of the 1000 gamerscore available on the Xbox version, briefly playtested the Playstation version at a friend's place to compare details, and asked a trusted associate about the PC version's capabilities. I'd say I'm something of an expert on the game for now, at least compared to others who've played it. That having been said, let's look at the way things were set up for Neo Paris and Nilin's adventure...

The whole entire basis of Remember Me is essentially memory. The entire game is full to the brim with promising story and combat exploits, as well as a plethora of collectibles and challenges to wrap your mind around during one or more playthroughs. Memory, personal identity, and ambition are the key three components in the game's story and scope, and for the most part, they deliver when the time comes. Your character, Nilin, is presented with a pretty predicament- the loss of her memory, and the ball rolls on from there. As much as it might seem like the beginning to some grand Elder Scrolls RPG- waking up in prison with no memory of your past crimes, setting out to create a new life and visage, etcetera, etcetera- Remember Me is unique in its very own way, but no less grandiose. All that you really figure out to begin with is that Nilin was, and is a covert operative known as a memory hunter, who specializes in placing and removing specific memories from opponents of her employers and other persons of interest. Using these skills, throughout the game you will have the opportunity to slice and dice your opponents' memories, alter personalities, and much, much more. Remember Me's complex simplicity is beautifully realized, and delivers for the most part. The game does have its faults here and there, however, its accomplishments more than outweigh them for the better part of your adventure. Developer Dontnod has done an excellent job with the game, especially for such an ambitious official first project.

In order to leave you with the lasting impressions of the game's greatness, I have decided to begin with the complaints I had at times with the game, which, I know, is a little out of the ordinary for my reviews (normally placing complaints at the end or wherever else is relevant). The excellently realized cutscenes showcased throughout the game really help to flesh out the narrative and setpiece moments, however, sometimes I feel as if they can drag on a little too far before allowing players to resume control of Nilin. The arc and breadth of the storytelling id often presented as a double bladed sword throughout Remember Me's gameplay- you can choose to either soak up and enjoy the cutscene moments in their entirety at the expense of your gametime, or you can skip said scenes, miss the majority of the story, and completely ruin your experience by being in the dark. This leaves you with two choices- to embrace the game's notably lengthy pauses from the action and absorb any and all of its story points, or to fly through by the skin of your teeth (it's a saying, seriously) and experience the game as just another generic brawler. This simple component alone can make or break your experience with Remember Me, as I fear it has for some already...

My second and second to last complaint about the game- as I only have three major complaints to speak of, is also a relatively simple one: exploration. For the large and uniquely interesting dystopian world that Neo Paris is and has become, Nilin is limited in where and what she can actually explore. Similar in part to games like the recently released Tomb Raider and 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution (both Square Enix developed titles, notably), Remember Me does an excellent job of putting on an open-world facade. Granted, the worlds of all three of these games are remarkably expansive in their own rights, but there is a difference in open and linear world designs- and these games, while more open than others (Uncharted, Call of Duty, etc.), are still a little more tightknit and compact than they should be. Rarely will Remember Me allow or prompt you to leave the "beaten path" and explore what is available to you for anything other than stray collectibles or items. Even these are scripted in, and placed far enough away as to seemingly give the world that "open" appearance though, when looked at later on. I love the little playground that Dontnod has willingly provided us with to harness our memory hunting powers in, but it is hardly anything compared with Grand Theft Auto or Mercenaries, to name a few open world sagas.

And, this brings me to my third and final complaint of the day (majorly, wise)... The entire gimmick of Remember Me was the ability to screw around with, not time, but memories, and for the most part it worked out pretty well in small ways. However, in the big 'Memory Remix' sessions spread throughout the game, which are- don't get me wrong, pretty darn cool to mess with and see how many different outcomes there are, there are only four remixes in the entirety of the game. Okay, so there's nothing wrong with the remixes themselves per se, as they were all pretty well carried out in my honest opinion, but only four?! Now that just seems to be a bit cheap if you ask me, especially in a game with an entire basis in the conceptual elements of memory itself. Come on Dontnod! You could've easily added in about three more, or even one in each chapter, without ruining the important feeling of these sessions- if that is what you were afraid of doing. The remixes really make you feel like you're seeing things through another's eyes, changing their outlook, and slowly even making them go insane. Whichever way you play it, these memories are easily the most fun and important in the game, but they could've had more content and support, which would've been a lot better indeed.

Now, don't get me wrong- as you've probably guessed with my comments thus far, and my thoughts these past few days as well, I definitely have enjoyed my time with the game, and it has done some things finely. It's the sequences that involve delving into the past that bring out the finer points of the game, and gives Remember Me a memorable reputation in my humble opinion. With these remix sessions being few and far between however, this means you are going to be spending the majority of your time either watching cutscenes or in tense combat encounters of the third kind. I'd compare the combat most closely with that of the Arkham games- simple, brutal, and invigorating. Once you nail down the combos, piece together your own with the abilities unlocked in the combo labs (which I will talk more on later), and level some attacks up so to speak, you'll be more in-tune with combat scenarios and be able to more readily solve the combat puzzles and attack usage as well. The only minor complaint I'd have against combat is that there is no parry or block command, so you'll have to dodge every attack before countering, instead of being able to hold your own ground- giving you more of an evasive and defensive feel in combat as opposed to an all out assault. Honestly though, I could see why Dontnod went this route if they were trying to tie that in subtly with Nilin's character, as she is a shadowy errorist and hacker or sorts.

Now, onto combo labs- one of the most intriguing and experiment worthy modes present within Remember Me's experience. From customizing attacks and combos, adding in 'pressens' that can add to your regenerating health or damage inflicted, and being able to access the lab at any time, during combat or when exploring, Combo Lab is quite an entertaining getaway from the moment. You also have S-Pressens, which allow you to build up some really devastating combos, and are upgradeable as you gradually unlock them throughout the story. Each S-Pressen is created really for a specific enemy type in mind, and as you encounter those enemies throughout the story, you may have to use that combo or attack to take them down, uncover them, or otherwise incapacitate them in some way or form. These spice up combat a bit by not only making things more interesting, but by creating a sort of puzzle element to combat when facing certain hardier or wilier enemies. Sadly, they do have a significantly longer cooldown timer than most other combos or attacks, so it can kind of break of the flow of combat at times to pull out these pressens. In this remastered and reinvented version of Paris, there are many dangers to be faced, not all of which can be noted by Nilin's specially enhanced eyesight and on-screen prompts that follow. One thing that doesn't necessarily add up all of the time, but kind of amplifies the experience story-wise as well, is the character development, or sometimes lack thereof- where Nilin might be fleshed out, but most NPCs other than bosses, are not. It adds almost a faceless quality to the foes from Memorize and elsewhere, which means it makes it all the sweeter to take them down, and makes you almost embrace the errorist cause.

Another large chunk of your time may be spent platforming or traversing the environments of Neo Paris, and its outlying slums as well. Doing almost what Uncharted has successfully integrated into its linear climbing sequences, Remember Me's platforming is quite linear at times, but still fun and holds some promise and action as well. Sadly, two drawbacks are that you can never fall to your doom or detriment (does that really count as a drawback?), and you have the constant overbearing fourth wall in your face that is the glaring yellow marker arrow telling you what objects you can and cannot hold onto or leap to successfully. This kind of ties back into the linearity of the exploration as mentioned earlier, as your following of that arrow basically renders your mind of any useful thinking, and gives you no reason to break from the nine or ten hour campaign arc without given cause. I myself only managed to eek out around fourteen hours because I completed my first playthrough in nine and a half hours, and started a second to experiment around a bit, and toy with what exactly was possible in the game. Given the time and effort, Dontnod could really cash in with Remember Me though, by either releasing some spectacular DLC that learns from the base game's mistakes, or possibly a sequel that really builds on the story, characterization, and finer details.

One of the equally interesting and not-so-interesting aspects of Remember Me is that there really is no constant struggle against death to keep you from taking unnecessary risks or jumping into immediate danger. When you misjudge a jump, you are pulled onward towards the rooftop or ledge regardless of how far off your calculations were, which can be both a godsend and an annoyance, if you were trying to ragequit and suicide. If you get beat up so bad as to go into a coma or bleed out in combat essentially, you'll restart like nothing really happened, and like it was simply remembered wrongly- which is neat, but means you can basically do whatever you want with no regrets or consequences. Now, sure- I wouldn't want the game to have something so severe as lack of checkpoints, a certain number of saves, or permadeath or something- but at least make things marginally challenging on something other than the MemHunter Elite level of difficulty (Hard). Now, of course, you're basically reverting to a previous checkpoint just like you would if you had actually died- but it's a small touch that makes you assume you didn't die, and the loop drives onwards.

Overall, while a lot was done to really convey the soul of the city of Neo Paris itself- its inhabitants, the corruption of the Memorize corporation and its total control over everyone, and the characters themselves, as uninteresting as some were at times- some things just don't add up, and those are the only aspects of the game truly keeping it from greatness, as I am sure many will agree with me in saying so. Remember Me is a good game, but not a great game- above B Material, but a tad below the A cutoff. The lovingly crafted and painstakingly created and detailed cutscenes are well presented, but sometimes a little too much, as mentioned previously. They really give you the full scoop, sometimes too full, by cramming it down your throat if you aren't aware of their length, and easily attribute to nearly a quarter of the campaign's time in length. The interactivity is well planned out, the cameras always precisely located during the action and reaction, and the small visual and interacting aesthetics really presented finely and in mint condition- often offering up some replay value for sheer experimenting's sake. The gameplay is well-rounded, offering some interesting gadgets to tinker with in and out of combat, such as the spammer- as seen in the Test Chamber video, and also adding puzzle elements even more in combat and gameplay. What's there is there, and works well while it is in play, most definitely. There aren't too many noticeable glitches to speak of, at least that I've encountered, and the gameplay is quite solid- making this quite a memorable experience for me personally, even if it might not have garnered a high enough review rating for you to go out on a limb and purchase yourselves.

The bottom line is that, while lacking somewhat in a true storytelling area, and character personification and semblances, Remember Me is a worthwhile combat and scenic experience, and one that I would highly recommend, although not at current retail price. Do yourself a favor if you enjoyed games such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mirror's Edge- wait about a month or so for the game's price to drop before purchasing it, or if you are wavering on whether or not to buy it, feel free to pick it up on Gamefly or some similar market and give it a whirl. You shouldn't be too terribly disappointed...

Concept: Explore a near-futuristic Parisian landscape as a memory shifting and altering operative with a particular set of skills and a deadly effective arsenal of gadgets and tactics-based weaponry and methods.

Graphics: No complaints here about the visual style and interpretation of this game's Paris, but it'd certainly be nice to explore said city a bit more often and in-depth.

Sound: The voice acting and soundtrack aren't anything particularly special or groundbreaking, but they are decent enough and far from terrible. Competent would be the word, I suppose.

Playability: The semblance of freedom in fluidity and exploration is just that- a semblance, but the experience is a worthwhile and enjoyable one nonetheless, despite some misgivings and hiccups here and there.

Entertainment: The game does many things right, and certainly shows some bright and promising futures in ideas down the road, but as with the city it centers around, it also has some underlying and obvious flaws in the clockwork.

I want to state first off that, while I did not enjoy Fuse nearly as much as Dan and Reiner seemed to have during their playthrough together, I did not loathe or hate it nearly as much as some of my cohorts have, so I therefore lie somewhere in the middle between the two parties. Fuse is yet another solid game from the talented people at Insomniac Games, although it is definitely one that will grow stale long before mold starts to grow on the Ratchet and Clank series, due mainly to some of the more cumbersome annoyances and fallbacks present. Fuse is a game that is a blast to play in cooperative mode, mainly so that you can share the painful moments with three other friends, and not suffer alone and in silence. The game is still exciting when played solo, but a lot of the over-the-top action is missing due to your AI compatriots' inability to function at 100% during combat, and their lackluster mission performances- forcing you to do the majority of the work alone. When you have characters as cool as Naya, Dalton, Izzy, and Jacob- it's hard not to expect great things from them, and that is in essence the majority of the letdown that single player provides during gameplay and narrative.

The weapons of Fuse are certainly one of its coolest aspects, despite my only being enamored of really two of the four weapons personally- Dalton's Mag Shield and Jacob's Mercury Crossbow Bolts. In a game where you can choose to either a) liquify your enemies with molten crossbow bolts, b) reflect their bullets back at them in an incinerating blast, c) crystallize and shatter your foes, and d) suck enemies into a black hole- it's hard to choose just what devastating powers and weapons to use at any one time. They all sound viable to me. In order from my favorite to least favorite, I'd have to rank the weapons as the Liquid Mercury Crossbow, Mag Shield, Antimatter Rifle, and Crystal Rifle. Now, my favorite players are of course Dalton and Jacob because of their weapons that I normally employ the most, however, all of the characters play pretty similarly and I enjoyed playing as Izzy and Naya as well, though Naya more because of her Black Hole-shooting gun.

My biggest complaint with Fuse is simply the lack of a really varied enemy force, as well as a lack of environments and terrain. Sadly, even such epic combat encounters as those found in the beginning moments of Fuse can become routine and mundane by the end of the game, roughly six or seven hours or so later. The action is still quite fun and hectic, but it all becomes a little bit too routine as the game progresses, and takes away from the initial appeal and replay value as well in some ways. Combine this with the fact that, not only is the enemy AI pretty bad and laughably easy to overcome, but your own allied AI isn't much better, and you've soiled the adventure somewhat. Sure, you're able to control virtually any of the four characters you wish to at any time throughout the single player campaign, through utilization of the 'leap' mechanic, but you will still have to deal with the fact that at any given time you have three nearly-useless allies fighting with you against your enemies. Luckily, they won't use most of the same resources as you, so the only thing you'll really have to deal with them through is reviving or certain team specific areas. Otherwise, you can virtually ignore them, and they'll pretty much dog along faithfully behind you. Of course, in the cooperative campaign, you can go through the same story experience, while also enjoying a more varied degree of skill and action with three other players at your side who are most likely more useful and fun to hang around than your AI companions.

To add to the already massive levels of destruction that you can cause with four awe-inspiring weapons, there is also a relatively extensive upgrade system to complement each character and the team as a whole. Now, I see why some complaints are made against the system, but in my own humble opinion, the upgrade 'trees' actually aren't as abominable or useless as some people would have you believe. There are several tiers of upgrades, and multiple categories for each as well, concerning various characters, weapons, team perks, and much, much more. In all actuality, while there are four separate skill trees for the individual characters, each one is very similar in layout and construction, which isn't necessarily a bad thing- merely an inconvenience when you could've made one giant skill tree to pertain to all of them. There are team kill bonuses, fuse material bonuses and additions to your armaments, infinite ammo, and many other perks to peruse and purchase. The only thing that could've made this decent addition much better would have been o grant each player a different, unique bonus power to their weapons, instead of essentially the same fuse bonuses for each of them.

It took me about seven hours or so to beat the game on the normal difficulty level, with about half of the achievements unlocked. So, the game is about as long, or a little longer than your average shooter, and it features about the same number of unlockable achievements in one playthrough. I've since started a second playthrough, and it seems as if you can unlock about 90% of the total achievements in two playthroughs, while the others require certain scores in Echelon mode to unlock, or thousands of kills in either mode. The game's replayability is moderately high, despite some mitigating factors on the enjoyability the second or subsequent times through- cutscene loading, tedium, etc. Multiple characters to level up, special unlockables and collectables to find in the levels, and an increased difficulty make the game worth at least one more playthrough in my mind. Of course, there is also the equally viable Echelon mode, for those of you who want to level up without having to sit through the story mode another time. You can grind levels with the best of them this way, and it increases some of the insane action, difficulty, and variety as well. There are several waves of enemies to battle your way through, a few maps, and a less painful story to deal with- because there isn't a story at all. It's just good old survival.

Fuse is nowhere near as bad as as some of my fellow designers and friends have been telling me, but it is also nowhere near as good as it showed the potential to be, and nowhere near as good as some of my other fellows told me it was. I guess I'll simply put it down to being one of those games that people can take a lot of different things away from, and that enjoyability levels can vary between people playing and the consoles they play it on, perhaps. One thing is for certain- the game isn't perfect, because it makes a few mistakes along the way. The allied and enemy AI, some unsightly glitches and visual problems, and the lack of a really coherent story are just a few of the most criticized details and issues. There is plenty to enjoy about Fuse, despite numerous detracting factors present throughout the gameplay and game itself, so I'd definitely recommend it to fans of action-heavy cooperative games, for example, Anarchy Reigns or Borderlands 2.

Concept: Utilizing some unique weapons and abilities, follow a mercenary, a hacker, a detective, and an assassin on an exciting adventure fueled by kill rampages and over-the-top action moments.

Graphics: The graphics themselves are alright and nothing to scoff at, but enemy models and characters could use some more variety, as could the environments throughout levels. Different levels have relatively varied environments, but the areas within the same levels all look virtually the same, and it is easier to get lost in self-same rooms than it should be.

Sound: Easily the weakest of the game's components, there isn't a strong musical score to be heard, and the voice acting is only alright overall, with some generic callouts and no real distinguishing voicework.

Playability: Despite marginally distressing reticules for the weapons, the gunplay is smooth, the controls tight, and the game easily accessible and playable for both consoles.

Entertainment: The single player campaign may seem a bit drawn out, with your AI companions as your only source of support, however, the cooperative mode and Echelon arena mode is a blast to play with at least one of your friends, and highly recommended.

The following three locales are places that Fallout 4 could, and should go to in the future, when the game is (hopefully) released. Each of these places is interesting in their own right, and could really be something else entirely, adapting to the ever-growing console markets, and enriching the formulas established by Bethesda/Obsidian with 3 and New Vegas. Please, feel free to comment on any or all of my selections, and to give me feedback or even add your own opinions as to where the series could or should visit, if not with 4, then in another sequel (maybe New Vegas 2?). Enjoy the blog folks.

♦♦♦

Area 1:

America, When the Bombs Dropped

How cool would it be to go back in time to before the nuclear holocaust hitting the Americas occurred? How much cooler would it be to go back in time to when that was actually happening? Fallout 4 should definitely consider going back to this time period, as much as for a story purpose as for a nostalgic one. Ever since Fallout 1, we've heard about what happened to precipitate the following nuclear holocaust, but do we really know the true story? Perhaps it actually occurred as some conspiracy, later blamed on the Chinese. Maybe the US Government bombed its own country in some odd attempt to glorify itself and regain the trust of the people, but it all went wrong. Anything could've happened, and Fallout 4 could follow any number of individuals as that story is told. Maybe it could take place in two of the vistas we've already experienced time in- the Capitol Area, or the Vegas Strip. Either could be equally interesting, but I personally think the Vegas Strip would be a more interesting thought, and we could possibly follow the story of Robert House (aka Mr. House) as he defends the Strip from the nuclear attack, and somewhat saves that area from utter annihilation along with the Nevadan trope. Or perhaps we could go to the Capitol, and follow an unnamed or relatively unmentioned character in the aftermath of the holocaust, or within the vault system- right after they were shut for what was supposed to be forever. Perhaps, metro style, some rangers or soldiers could venture out of their vault- or be forced out if it were broken, and explore the now desolate landscape for materials whilst keeping an eye on their air supply and for the strange, irradiated creatures now roaming about. Would that not be neat? The name could be Fallout 4, a Fallout prequel called something like Fallout: Infamy, Beginning of the End, or something else, or even something new entirely such as Fallout: Washington, etc. Interesting, no?

♦♦♦

Area 2:

Alaska, or Colorado, or Another Snowy Place

So, we've seen a tad bit of snow before in the Fallout series, with the Operation Anchorage DLC from Fallout 3, and the small mountainous areas of New Vegas that the Super Mutants inhabit, so the white substance cannot be entirely out of the question. We could have a true nuclear winter, whether in some random place or in Alaska, but during the apocalypse instead of a simulation before it. Alaska is an interesting choice, because it will be a lot different looking and feeling than before the bombs fell, I bet. A whole host of new creatures could be introduced as adversaries as well, ranging from irradiated and crazed wolves and bears to frozen ghouls that can temporarily stop you cold...literally. There could be crazy snowshoe hares a la the New Vegas crows, basically sitting around for free +1 XP, and serving as simple life to spruce up the dead world. There could be fast travel locations that are on trade routes explored by bobsleds and parka-clad caravan traders. The options are nearly infinite and limitless, and it could all be so fresh as well, adding snow for the first time in the entirety of the landscape. How cool would such a simple aesthetic be? In hardcore mode, now you would not only have to deal with water levels, food and energy, and rest, but also warmth and limb strength against frostbite. What a challenge that would add... On the flip side, if it traveled to somewhere else such as say, the Rockies in Colorado, or maybe somewhere such as Olympia, Washington, but that has had weird changes in the climates that lead to a nuclear winter all year round where it once didn't snow too much, then that could be quite intriguing. Along with the snow could come rain, and dynamic melting system that could present environmental hazards such as falling ice, sinkholes, etc. and so much more. Serious Bethesda, you should look into this. Swimming would certainly not be a viable method of travel this time around either, and not just because of rads...you'd freeze within minutes most likely. No Volare! quest for this game...

♦♦♦

Area 3:

Out of this World, or Country, Rather

I have had no complaint about the American places that the Fallout series has visited thus far, but let me ask you one thing- how cool would it be to explore a castle, or a loch, or ancient ruins? Well, these things could only be done out of North America, so that presents a small problem at the moment. But what if it didn't? What if Fallout 4 took place in China, who probably received a retaliatory strike from the US after the initial bombing? Or maybe European locales, such as London, Paris, or Madrid? Maybe a nuclear cloud inevitably engulfed the whole entire planet, or a system of alliances a la WWII involved everyone once more, and no country was safe from the missiles that served as harbingers of destruction and death. Fallout 4 could take place in so many countries all over the world, each with their own reasons to convince Bethesda to choose them. Monuments, famous locations, and currently well-known attractions only being a few of them. Imagine visiting a post-apocalyptic Rio de Janeiro, New Paris's Eiffel Tower, or Big Ben's decrepit and collapsing structure in London. How epic would that be? Maybe they could even include the whole of Europe in one game, allowing players to use some sort of ferry system a la Point Lookout to travel from place to place across one gigantic wasteland, the likes of which never before experienced. Would that not be incredibly impressive, and offer so much content that the sheer possibilities would be nigh on endless? A win-win, right? Imagine the engrossing role-playing adventure before you, then. Fallout 4: Europe, or Fallout 4, or whatever it would be called- visiting anywhere else in the world could bring about an entirely new experience and certainly reinvigorate the series even more, as if it needed it anyway with its popularity. Since the next generation is coming, it's time for the series to branch out even more, and truly make a mark to last for eternity, or at least until the next console apocalypse...

♦♦♦

Those are my thoughts on three incredible places or areas that the next Fallout game could visit, but of course, that is entirely up to Bethesda at this point. Wherever they choose to go, I am sure it will be incredibly detailed and exciting. Now, I'd like to hear some of your thoughts if you'd be willing to provide them, so be sure to leave me some feedback and comments here. Thanks again folks, and adieu.